Music Theory Tutorials & Videos

Learn and practice the basics of music with these tutorials and video series.

For Beginners

Basic Music Principles

Learn the Basics of Music - 7-Part Series

Explore the essentials of music in this comprehensive 7-part series. Dive into the foundation of music, from the music staff, clefs, and notes to dynamics, tuplets, and scales.

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For all musicians

Music Theory Quizzes and Flashcards

Test your basic music knowledge - Quizzes and flashcards 20-Part Series

Test your knowledge with this series of videos and flashcards about the basic music theory. Each section in this series includes an interactive practice test. All musicians are welcome to try it and post their score!

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Comments or Questions

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Comments or Questions:

judith amster on March 22, 2025 @7:09 pm PST

counting in different rhythms (e.g.) 3/4 or 6/8-how do you know which system of counting should you choose? etc.

Fabrizio Ferrari - moderator, on March 22, 2025 @7:47 pm PST

Do you mean when composing a piece of music? If so, compound time signatures like 6/8, 9/8, etc., are usually more convenient in fast-paced music so that you don't have to use a too high tempo and too many bars to express the same kind of melody or passage.

For example, a slow-paced waltz (i.e. 100=quarter) is probably better suited for a 3/4 time signature like the Waltz of the Flowers by Tchaikovsky in this transcription for two violins:

https://www.virtualsheetmusic.com/score/FlowersWaltz2Vlns.html

Whereas a fast-paced piece (92=dotted-quarter) like the Funeral March of a Marionette by Gounod, is more suited for a 6/8 time signature:

https://www.virtualsheetmusic.com/score/GounodFuneralMarchPf.html

Think about it: how many 3/4 bars would you need to write the same 6/8 passage of the first 4 bars of Gounod's piece? Consider that you would need to convert all height notes to quarter notes, basically doubling the length of each note, and doubling the metronome tempo as well to make it sound in the same way.

In the end, choosing the right time signature is just a matter of convenience in writing the passage in the most concise and efficient way

BABLOK Artur on February 11, 2025 @11:38 am PST

Musiktheorie-Quizze und Lernkarten
Das ist großartig und einzigartig; erfordert aber Zeit. Das Tutorial ist sehr, sehr nützlich für Amateure, die ein Instrument erlernen wollen.

Fabrizio Ferrari - moderator, on February 11, 2025 @12:13 pm PST

Ich freue mich, dass es dir gefallen hat, Artur! Ja, es dauert einige Zeit, aber Sie müssen nicht alles in einer einzigen Sitzung erledigen, sondern können es schrittweise tun.

Wenn Sie zusätzliches Feedback haben, lassen Sie es mich bitte wissen!

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I am glad you liked it Artur! Yes, it requires some time, but you don't need to do everything in a single session, you can do it in steps.

If you have any additional feedback, please let me know!

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Video Lessons from Music Experts

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